The Senate began consideration of a farm and food bill yesterday. The biggest issues on the threshing floor of the Senate is separating wheat from chaff between Northern and Southern farmers over safety net programs and the question of costs for the federal food stamp program, which makes up about 80 percent of the $100 […]

By Miryam Ehrlich Williamson Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH09), the longest-serving woman in Congress, has filed a bill meant to increase the supply of fresh produce in America’s cities. H.R. 4971, the Greening Food Deserts Act, was filed March 25 with 23 co-sponsors. It’s now on the docket of both the Education and Labor and Agriculture […]

By Debra Kozikowski Something special is happening in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The Sisters of Providence, a religious community with deep roots in the city of Holyoke, Massachusetts, donated land in June of this year to The Trustees of Reservations. Today, a ceremony will take place to dedicate The Land of Providence, a 25 acre parcel of farm and […]

By Matt L. Barron For most of us with working vehicles, a weekly trip to a favorite roadside stand for some fresh-picked sweet corn and vine-ripened tomatoes is part of the summer routine. But what if you live in one of America’s big cities, far from a local farm? Even the best public transportation systems […]

By Daphne Bishop Much has been said about the collapse of General Motors and its attendant, cataclysmic effect on the cities, towns and people of our country. There is little optimism, and a dearth of concrete proposals or solutions. But in Anderson, Indiana, once a thriving GM city, five young entrepreneurs see the growing of […]

by Daphne Bishop Can planting community gardens in an urban landscape be akin to the Declaration of Independence or a non-violent revolution? For the South Central Farmers of Los Angeles, the creation of a 14-acre oasis in the aftermath of the 1992 Rodney King riots was meant to heal and nourish. Eventually its success challenged […]

by Debra Kozikowski A diet that includes lots of fresh, local produce is good for everyone. And if you grow your own, the rewards even include a little tranquility as you work your garden. But what about poverty stricken city dwellers? What’s the gain for following the dream of taking a plot of inner city land and turning it into a community garden? […]